Saturday, February 15, 2020

Who misses A.J. Judice?


                             Is boudain getting fancy on us? Judice’s 1927 has been open a few months in Nederland offering a festive setting to enjoy Cajun flavors from a famous local family’s name. It’s fancy enough to have boudain – typically sold in butcher paper at your local grocer/food truck - referred to as “Link of Boudain” under the “Starters” area of the menu. But it’s still sold by the pound, as Cajuns would expect.
                             Variations of oysters, shrimp and crawfish dot this menu and the restaurant is filled with families, old friends and dates out for some spicy fun. Look up at the pirogue  chandelier and around to enjoy some memories, such as A.J. Judice racing crawfish and posing as “The Crazy Frenchman” to promote his Port Arthur grocery store. Don’t mind walking around to view all the photos. You probably won’t disturb anybody at a table: it could be a “cousin” with another A.J. memory.


                      Place your bets
                      This is a great time to plug the crawfish races set for Port Arthur. Plan now for Cajun Heritage Festival, a Southeast Texas Arts Council presentation, set for the Carl A. Parker Multipurpose Center in Port Arthur on April 4. Tell your friends and pack the house for live music, races and eating contests, food vendors and more fun scheduled in the area for Sunday, April 5.

                      Slay your slaw
                      Have you dressed your slaw in the same way forever? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But, I’m kind of impatient. I’m in the never-waste-food club and I just combined a few random salad dressing packets – both creamy and vinaigrette – into a new blend and housed it in a beautiful Mason jar. I may add a bit more garlic or whatever I’m in the mood for, but whatever that tastes like will dress the slaw I plan to crunch my way through Sunday night. Try something new all the time.

                  Darragh Castillo loves experimenting, blending and making things into something new. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

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